The Sun and the Earth
by Kaytoko
Summary: He was the hot-headed son of Agni, and she was the beautiful daughter of the Earth God. They were Gods from different planes, destined to live their existence apart. But on the day of the Spring Solstice celebrations, the Sun and Earth danced to the tunes of a forbidden love that would come to haunt them till the end of time. Irosami. Celestial AU.


_The Sun and the Earth_

Summary: He was the hot-headed son of Agni, and she was the beautiful daughter of the Earth God. They were Gods from different planes, destined to live their existence apart. But on the day of the Spring Solstice celebrations, the Sun and Earth danced to the tunes of a forbidden love that would come to haunt them till the end of time. Celestial AU.

A/N: Originally wrote on tumblr to thank my 200+ followers, but then it grew into this monstrosity. It was meant to be a one-shot. It's not. I think it might end up being something like a three-shot or a four-shot at most, though. Just… _something_ I felt like sharing, really.

Enjoy!

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**_Part 1_**

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It was the during the Spring Solstice celebrations that he first laid eyes on her. It was her first year to take over the duties of turning the seasons from her father, the God of the Earth. Standing barefoot in the snow, draped in the brightest colors of yellow with her long, lightly curled dark hair cascading down her back, he watched in reverence as she called forth the first bloom of the turning seasons. The fragile pink bud was enough to elicit a smile from her beautifully painted red lips, her bright green eyes sparkling with joy.

The Gods and Goddesses of the Celestial plane cheered, toasting their cups of sacrificial sake to the coming of spring. Iroh lifted his absentmindedly, his golden eyes following the form of the Earth God's beautiful daughter. He had never once in his hundred century existence laid eyes on such an entrancing and enticing woman. He had hardly considered women to be anything more than playthings meant for entertainment. But there was something about the way her thrilled smile continued to dance through his head that had him completely ensnared. If he did not know any better, he would have sworn he was in love.

"My son," a deep voice came, a heavy hand falling upon his shoulder. Iroh tore his eyes away from the beautiful, nameless girl long enough to address his father appropriately with a short bow.

"Father."

Agni gave a proud grin, squeezing his son's shoulder as he turned to face his companion. The God of the Sun was dressed richly in bold reds and glittering golds while his companion, which Iroh recognized instantly to be La, the God of the Ocean, was dressed oppositely in deep blues and shimmering blacks. Usually enemies, the two rivals put away their differences in honor of celebrations, if only so that they could boast their biggest assets in an attempt to one-up the other. It seemed that this year, Agni had chosen to show off Iroh.

"I could not ask for a better son," Agni said. "He has already taken upon my duties passing the days between night and day, and his control over the element of fire is nearly on par with mine. To think that he shows such mastery at such a young age. I may have to watch my back or he will overtake me!" Agni laughed.

"Yes," La agreed slowly, his deep voice lingering on the word. "He has quite grown into the man he was born to be."

Iroh gave a half-smile at the God's words, uncertain if he had misread their meaning. Choosing to ignore the possible connotations, he bowed. "Thank you, La. Your words are most kind."

The God of the ocean merely hummed, observing him with deep blue eyes that saw more than he was willing to say. He turned away after a moment, looking at Agni. "Are we done here? I wish to tell you of my own daughter's accomplishments."

"Ah," Agni said with a slightly annoyed, knowing smile. "Of course. Lead the way."

Iroh gave them a brief nod of parting before turning away to look for the Earth God's daughter again. He felt a sharp twist of disappointment in his breast when she wasn't where he expected. Unsure where she had disappeared to, the Sun God's son began to wander the celebration, less than enthusiastic about the festivities as he once was. He was absentmindedly perched upon a seat beside the dancing deities, nursing a cup of Ambrosia with a solemn expression when Bumi, the Wind God's eldest son, found him. The older deity plopped on a seat beside him, and gave him a curious look.

"Something tells me you're not having fun," he said.

Iroh frowned against his goblet. "There is nothing to hold my interest."

Bumi snorted. "That's a first. What, are the women not enticing enough for you tonight, Sun Boy?"

Iroh grimaced at him. "I'm not like you, Bumi."

The wind deity merely shrugged. "Suit yourself. But moping over here on your own isn't going to improve the night any."

Iroh didn't respond.

Bumi frowned. "What's with you, Iroh? You're not usually this absentminded."

"I don't know," Iroh responded, swirling the Ambrosia in his cup. "I may have been enchanted."

Bumi's lips turned up in a surprised grin. "You? Enchanted? Ha. Not likely."

Iroh glared at him. "You know I've never cared much for the company of women. But tonight… Tonight I saw a vision in yellow. A beauty unmatched by any in any of the living planes. A mere smile ensnared my heart and fogged my mind. I cannot think of anything but her."

Bumi's amused grin faded a bit. "You're serious?" Iroh met his eyes uncertainly. "Aw, man," Bumi laughed. "This is surreal. Who is she?"

Giving a slight sigh, Iroh dropped his gaze. "The Earth God's daughter."

Bumi gave a small start. "Her?" he asked in surprise. Iroh nodded. Bumi's amused smile faded and he leaned seriously toward his friend. "Iroh, I don't mean to question your choices, but you cannot pursue her."

The Sun God's son looked over at him, perplexed. "Why not?"

"The Earth God is _very_ protective of his daughter. Few even know her name," the Wind God's son said. "Attempting to court her could mean the start of a war if he finds out."

Iroh sighed, slumping farther in his chair. "Of course it would. That's how it always is among Gods. Everything is a cause for war."

Bumi placed a comforting hand upon his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry. That's just the way it has to be."

"I know," Iroh said softly.

Bumi squeezed his shoulder. "Try to enjoy the night. It's the Spring Equinox. The start of new beginnings. You'll have bad luck in the next year if you don't enjoy it."

Iroh gave him a half-smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Bumi nodded before standing up with a parting gesture to approach a small group of air nymphs chatting near the dance floor. They giggled loudly at the advances of the deity and Iroh turned his eyes away.

He knew Bumi was right. He had a feeling that this fleeting infatuation was far out of his reach, and now that he was aware of the consequences, he resigned himself to place aside his distracting feelings in favor of focusing on his duties. He had an obligation to uphold his father's trust and pride. He didn't have time to dawdle with questionable feelings. He glared at the golden liquid in his goblet, annoyed, before downing the whole thing in one go. Bumi was right. He needed to enjoy the night to get his mind off of the Earth God's beautiful daughter.

Rising from his seat, he left his empty goblet behind before sweeping an unsuspecting female deity into a dance. She laughed, nameless and faceless, to the charms of the Sun God's son. He gave her a wide, alluring smile that had her like putty in his hands. It was pathetic, really. How easily women gave into his charms and title. He danced her around until he was bored and flipped between partners as often as he pleased. He was spinning a petite forest nymph when a flash of yellow caught his eyes. His heart gave a sharp, painful jerk.

It was her.

She was passing along the edge of the crowd, a small longing smile tilting her red lips upward as she watched the couples dance. But she did not stop to stare for long. She soon disappeared behind the cover of the forest, her flowing yellow robes disappearing behind flowery foliage. Iroh continued to stare at the place she disappeared from, suddenly consumed by the overwhelming urge to follow after her. Bumi's warning lingered in the back of his mind, but he had already taken one step forward, his hands already falling from the petite nymph he was just dancing with. He hesitated, just a moment, where logic attempted to remind him of the consequences that might transpire due to his actions. But the time for reason had already passed and Iroh began to walk, his eyes trained on the place where she had disappeared.

He walked quietly through the trees, the sounds of the Equinox celebrations growing softer with every step. The forest was old, a place made during the creation of the planes in which Iroh had greatly admired from the time when he was a child. The trees were wide and tall, much taller than he could see from where he walked, but the sun- _his_ sun- still peeked strips of shimmering gold light through the canopy, illuminating the dark cover of the forest. The snow of the passing winter still stood silently upon the ground, glittering under the light of the sun. Briefly, he wondered if he was too ambitious to follow her into the forest like this, but as he turned the edge of a trunk, his heart fluttered.

She knelt in the snow under the soft light of the sun, gently caressing a small bud into a beautiful flower. She smiled and hummed a lullaby he did not recognize under her breath. The light bathed her with gold, making her seem more divine than even before. He stood in awe, his knees weak beneath him as he observed her. How could such beauty exist in all of the planes? He took a few unconscious steps forward, unintentionally catching her attention. She whipped around to look at him, the notes of the lullaby falling silent at her lips. Slowly, she came to a stand, her bright green eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. For a long moment, neither of them said anything.

"F-Forgive me," Iroh eventually breathed. "I did not mean to startle you."

"Who are you?" she asked sharply, her feminine voice thick with distrust. "Why are you here?"

"I am Iroh, the son of the Sun God, Agni," Iroh said carefully. "Please, I only wish to speak with you."

"And you have spoken," she responded. "Now please leave me in peace."

"Of course," he agreed. "Just one question before I leave." She eyed him warily but did not say anything. "You don't know how to dance, do you?"

He saw her eyes widen just slightly before she turned her gaze away, her cheeks lightly coloring. "How do you know about that?"

"I could see it in the way you longingly looked upon those who were dancing," Iroh said.

She gave a quiet sigh, her fingers gently touching the skeleton branches of the bush she stood beside. "My father forbids it," she said softly. "He believes me to still be a child despite all my protests that I am not." Her fingers drew leaves from the dormant branches as green as the color of her eyes. "He wishes to hold me in his gaze alone. I am all he has left of my mother. I love my father. But his love feels so oppressive sometimes." She looked up at him, her eyes sad and lonely. "Is it horrible of me to want something more?"

"No," he whispered. "Not at all."

She seemed uncertain, looking back down at the leaves she helped grow. Her uncertainty had him unintentionally comparing his life to that with his own father. For a moment, he felt as though he wanted something more. As if he were unsatisfied with the life he lived. Shame flooded through him at the indignant thought and he shook it from his mind with a gentle smile.

"I could teach you, if you want." She stared at him. "To dance, I mean."

"You want to teach me how to dance," she repeated slowly. Her voice still held a slight note of suspicion that kept the distance between them. Iroh met her gaze.

"You said you wanted something more," he said softly. He extended his hand. An invitation. "It's just a dance."

She looked at his hand and he could see her warring with indecision in her mind. Finally, she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion and gently reached out to place her hand within his. His smile lifted only slightly and his fingers closed warmly around her smaller ones. He gently pulled her closer, keeping proper space between them as he showed her the correct stance before gently leading her in a slow dance. She stumbled a few times, her lips lifting lightly in an embarrassed smile before she got the hang of it, keeping up with Iroh's lead as he turned them slowly to the strings of a a song only they could hear. She laughed, her smile widening into the delighted smile she made when he first saw her. That joy on her face, the sparkle in her eyes; he couldn't resist giving her a smile that matched. His heart felt light for the first time in centuries. He didn't want this moment to end.

Eventually, they slowed to stop, just looking at each other. She had a look of wonder and joy that lit up her face that had his heart fluttering in his chest. _What is this?_ he wondered. _Is this truly love?_ She eventually broke their eye contact, shyly looking away. She took a step away from him, putting space between them as she tucked a loose curl behind one ear. Her smile did not fade, though.

"That was… wonderful," she said softly. "Thank you."

He gave her a soft smile. "I am pleased you enjoyed it."

Her returning smile was less enthusiastic, her eyes growing worried. "I should return to the festival now," she said, starting to walk away from him. "My father will be worried. Thank you again, for the dance. It was nice to meet you."

"Wait," Iroh said quickly, his heart plummeting straight to his stomach. He unintentionally grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving. "Will I see you again?"

She gave an unsure gesture, gently pulling her hand away as she tried to leave again. "I'm not sure."

He went after her, taking her hand once more, this time with more with more conviction. Her smile was absent when she looked at him again. "Please," he begged her softly. "At least tell me your name."

She looked up at him, uncertainty dancing in her expressive green eyes. She cast one last look over her shoulder before letting her hand squeeze his once, a small smile lifting her lips. "Asami."

"Asami," he repeated in a whisper, his heart lifting at her small admission.

"Now, please, I must go," she said again. He allowed her to go this time, watching as she took a few hurried steps through the snow. She sent one short look over her shoulder, her lips in a smile. "I hope we meet again, Iroh," she said before disappearing among the trees.

Left standing on his own, Iroh still felt the warmth of her fingers within his like the sun he so very much loved. His heart danced in his chest and flew like a bird. Asami. Beautiful Asami.

If this was not love, then he did not want to know what love was.


End file.
